Review Of "Insight Into Value: An Exploration Of The Premises Of A Phenomenological Psychology" By A. R. Fuller

Document Type

Book Review

Publication Date

4-1-1991

Published In

Choice

Abstract

There has been a longstanding need for a sophisticated introduction to phenomenological psychology, and Fuller's book is an admirable contender for the role. He provides a lucid account of the problems inherent in a dualistic, objectivistic orientation to psychology, and he proceeds in 14 carefully constructed chapters to lay out the groundwork for a phenomenological alternative. The chief sources for his account are Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, and Gurwitsch. However, Fuller's extensive reliance on the classic contributions of Gestalt psychology will be surprising for many. The coherent and well-developed discussion of the affinity between the Gestalt and existential phenomenological traditions also allows Fuller to develop interesting formulations of emotion and value. The chief weakness of the book (and perhaps of the orientation, more generally) lies in the incapacity to move beyond the domain of redefinition. Being is reconstructed in a challenging way, but the implications for action remain opaque. For advanced undergraduates and above.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of Choice Reviews. The review has been reproduced in full in the abstract field.

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